The subject matter herein relates generally to connector assemblies, and more particularly, to a coupler for interconnecting electrical connectors.
In electrical systems, there is increasing concern for preserving signal integrity as signal speed and bandwidth increase. The degree of signal degradation, or amplitude of crosstalk, generally increases as the frequency increases.
For example, a typical industry standard type RJ-45 communication connector includes four pairs of conductors defining different signal paths. The RJ-45 plug design is dictated by industry standards and is inherently susceptible to crosstalk. Additional crosstalk can be created by the contacts in the jack that interface with the contacts in the plug.
Due to the problems that are inherent in connectors such as the RJ-45 jacks, alternative jacks having enhanced interfaces have been developed to enhance performance. For example, Tyco Electronics Corporation described an electrical connector with enhanced jack interface in U.S. Pat. No. 7,195,518, the subject matter of which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. However, a need remains for interconnecting network devices using such electrical connectors with one another and with other network devices incorporating other types of electrical connectors, such as standard RJ-45 jacks.